In the Mood
by HelenL
Summary: I love Christmas, so I just HAD to write a Christmas-y story... I hope you enjoy this one!
1. Shopping Crowds

**Disclaimer(s):** I do not own NCIS, or the characters, or the presents... I don't even own these words (after all, _I_ didn't make them up), or this computer (it's my daddy's), or much of anything... ::sighs:: Oh well.  
**A/N:** Okay, I am definitely _not_ a Christmas-y person, but I got "In the Mood" while- amazingly- sleeping. And because I never get in the Christmas mood, this fic wouldn't leave me alone. So now I have rights to GAbby christmas swaps... Well, no I really don't, because everyone else could write trhis better than me... what can I say? It was 3 o'clock when I wrote it. So yeah...

Gibbs walked into the mall three days before Christmas Eve in a very bad mood; worse than usual, really. He hadn't slept too much the night before, as Vivian had a bad habit of calling him twice as much during the holidays. It wasn't that he didn't _like_ Vivian, but he had really needed the sleep. The team had just finished what was, quite possibly, their most nerve-wracking case. And if he thought it had been hard on him, it had to have been even worse for Abby.

Abby had been in every morning at three o'clock on the dot and had stayed until at least midnight, if not longer. And yet, she had never once complained. But it wasn't in her nature to complain- about _anything_. Gibbs loved his job just as much as she loved hers, but he complained all the time. And, because everyone else usually found some way to alert him (however obscurely) that he was being a pain, he usually ended up venting to her. And, in spite of the implications made by her appearance, she usually found a way to make him appreciate what he was doing. Even if he was almost as sleep deprived as she herself was.

He really expected too much of her. After all, she was only one person. And not too many people could effectively do their job and put him in a better mood at the same time. Hell, most people couldn't even cheer him up. He was quite lucky to have her working for him.

Which was the reason that he was here. Abby had worked for him in the lab for close to five years now, and he still hadn't really gotten around to telling her how much he appreciated it. After all, most people would have quit within a day or two. So, in order to alert her that, yes, he did care, he was buying her a Christmas present.

Now the only problem was that he didn't know what the hell he should buy her. She seemed to be at least vaguely entertained by video games, but he didn't know which ones she had. And anyways, she could very well end up like Tony and then where would they be? So- no to the video games. As he kept walking, he passed a shop called Bath and Body Works. Yeah, right. He could just see the appalled look on her face if he presented her with pink bubble bath and flowery scented candles. Another definite no. What about a gift card? It was simple enough to get one that she could use anywhere in the mall…

But no, he hated getting gift cards, as they were so impersonal. Every time that he gave or received one, it seemed like the person was saying "I had no idea what to get you, so you can figure out what I bought for you, okay?" And if there was one message that he didn't want to give Abby, it was that he didn't know her well enough to but her a simple Christmas present.

So he kept going, pushing his way through the crowd of desperate Christmas shoppers. Most of them probably had bags full of presents for all kinds of people at home. But not Gibbs- he had no one to buy presents for. Or, more precisely, he had no one to buy presents for until this year. He vaguely considered using his badge to somehow get all of these people to move out of the way. But he was a good agent and didn't abuse his power… Well, not this time anyways.

He hadn't really thought this would be so difficult, but he soon realized that he had been dead wrong. Most things weren't Abby's style- like the fluffy pink bunny slippers, the Spiderman inflatable doll, the chick flicks, the Britney Spears CD, the orange picture album; things like that. Well, either that or they definitely weren't something appropriate for him to give her. He figured that things like lacy panties, boxes of chocolates, stuffed animals holding hearts and jewellery wouldn't leave a good impression if they were received from her boss. _Especially_ if they were received from her boss.

And then, he found the perfect gift. It wasn't in any way perverted, which was good. It wasn't too childish. It wasn't pink. It wouldn't distract her at work… Well, okay, just about anything could distract Abby while she was at work. But it wouldn't tie up her computer. It would probably last for quite awhile… Unless, of course, she didn't like it, which was a possibility. But for some reason he didn't think that that would be a problem. And, if she didn't like it, he could always claim it was a gag gift or something.

And, best of all, it would almost definitely _not_ betray his feelings for her… In a word: it was perfect.


	2. Merry Christmas Abbs

**A/N:** You didn't really think I was going to just post this and leave you all wondering about what Gibbs went all the way to the mall for, did you? Come on, am I really that- Oh, wait, nevermind, I _can_ be that evil. I have to admit, this isn't my best work, and the presents are pretty... Stupid, actually. It was three in the morning, and even though I was practically dead on my feet, I couldn't sleep. So I wandered downstairs to the computer and started to write this. It hasn't been passed on to my editor (I love you!), so all mistakes are my own. I probably should have sent it to her, but I kind of like(d) having my little secret story. Sorry! Anyways, yes- on with Gibbs and Abby. By the way- I'm not sure if I want to continue this so that Gibbs and Abby get together or not- what do you guys think? Who knows- I guess I could bring in Kate and Tony if I did.

Gibbs walked into NCIS Headquarters on Christmas Eve feeling rather proud of himself. He hadn't chickened out of bringing Abby's Christmas present. He vaguely wondered if he should have brought Kate, Tony and Ducky something, but then decided he didn't really care. Ducky was his friend, and they would invariably get together for the holidays, so Gibbs had a bit more time. Besides, he could always drop by Ducky's and no one would think anything of it. But if he showed up on Abby's doorstep, who knew what people would think? He told himself that he really didn't care what anyone else thought… And neither would Abby. But it _did_ matter- to him. Not so much for himself, but for her. The rumour mill would have a field day- the Goth lab rat is sleeping with her boss… The typical stereotype for both groups, really.

He was at work early- earlier than anyone else, at any rate. After all, it was a holiday… He had tried to convince his team that he was the only one who really needed to come, but they had refused to let him be at work on his own- especially not on Christmas Eve. Abby had even gone as far as to accuse him of being a stereotypical 'Ebenezer Scrooge'. He had, however managed to convince them to come in late, even though he had lied and said he would be in late too. Maybe he was a bit of a Scrooge? But no- he had, after all, bought more than one Christmas present… Or, well, he was going to.

He rounded the corner and saw his desk. He blinked several times in rapid succession as Christmas music floated to his ears. There was a very large box sitting in the exact middle of his desk, and it was decorated with tinsel and lights and other various Christmas-y things. There was a miniature Christmas tree, complete with tiny lights that actually worked and little ornaments. Someone- and he suspected that he knew who- had spent an awful lot of time and money trying to get him in the Christmas spirit. And that someone had defied his orders in one way or another… They were either here early or they had stayed late, both of which he had specifically told them not to do.

He sighed and finished walking to his desk. He decided that he would open the present, only something else caught his eye. Something that was more important than presents. A card…

He tore off the envelope and started reading quickly, with every intention of punishing whoever had done this for insubordination.

He laughed suddenly. Not his usual chuckle, but an outright laugh. "Okay Abbs, very funny, come out…"

Abby appeared behind him seemingly from out of nowhere. "Hey boss-man… Aren't you going to open your present?" she asked innocently.

He spun around. "Where did you come from?"

"Well, originally, I was born in New Orleans, but I stayed at my-"

"Okay, okay, I get it… You were hiding from me and you're not going to tell me where, right?"

She grinned. "You've got it, Mr. Scrooge. So go on… open your present."

He rolled his eyes. "Fine, but only if you'll open yours, deal?"

"Gibbs, I don't have a present…"

He tossed her the box he had brought with him. "Yes you do."

"You know you didn't have to buy me a Christmas present…" she reminded him.

"You didn't have to buy me one either. And, just for your information, I wanted to get you one."

"Well, I wanted to get you one too… Besides, I think you could use a little extra Christmas cheer…"

"Fair enough…"

They tore off the outer layers of their presents at the same time, each of them secretly anxious to find out what the other had bought for them. Abby laughed when she discovered that there were several layers of wrapping paper.

Gibbs, on the other hand, was getting frustrated. Upon ripping the first layer of wrapping paper, he had encountered a box. After opening that box, he discovered another box covered in shiny wrapping paper. After opening five boxes, he was relieved to find the actual present. And he laughed… She had bought him paint.

Abby tore off her final layer of wrapping paper and gasped. "Oh my God! Gibbs, you really, _really_ shouldn't have!" Still holding his gift in one hand, she threw her arms around him.

"Abbs… Abbs? Abby, what's the big deal?"

She let him go abruptly. "Sorry, I just- You really didn't have to do that!"

He grinned. "So… you like it?"

"Mmhm… But- I don't understand- why?"

"Where do I start? Because you put up with me for starters. Not to mention the fact that you're so amazing in the lab… I could go on and on."

"Okay, but how did you know that the exact thing I've been looking for was the perfect picture to put up in my living room?"

"Well, actually, I just sort of thought that you probably didn't have too many pictures of any of us- never mind the five of us."

She grinned. "Well, it's still the perfect picture. And you even got it blown up for me!" She looked at him. "Go ahead, ask me. Ask me why I bought you paint…"

"How did you know that I was going to- Oh, never mind, I'm not even going to ask _how_. Why did you buy me paint Abbs?"

"So that- when you finally get finished with your boat- you can paint it…" She grinned, feeling quite proud of herself. "I don't think that you'll need it anytime soon, but it never hurts to be prepared…"

Yes, Gibbs- who always kept a picture of the five of them in his wallet- had bought Abby a rather large picture frame and had blown up his picture to put in it. Abby, ever the insightful lab rat, had bought several cans of paint. Only she hadn't exactly known Gibbs' favourite colours, so she had bought red, black, green, white, blue- just about every colour she could think of, except for pastels, of course. All in all, Christmas had been quite eventful for the two of them, and it hadn't even begun.

Abby and Gibbs each successfully hid their presents from the rest of the building for the entire day. Kate and Tony wanted so desperately to ask Gibbs about the sudden change in his desk attire, but neither of them had a death wish, so they didn't. Which ended up being their loss, as Gibbs was in a better mood than he had ever been in at Christmas time. So he probably would have told them- though whether or not it would have been the truth was debatable. He was in the mood, and he didn't care if anyone knew it.


	3. Dreams of Decadence

**A/N:** I know, this is a really short chapter. But I'm working on typing up Chapters 9 and 10 of The Rest is Up to You. I would be doing True Colours, but one of my friends has the next chapter, and I can't remember what happens next. I mean, I have a vague idea, but not enough of one to rewrite it. Besides, I liked the way I wrote it already. But anyways- this story... I'm kind of debating between two different things to happen in the next chapter... I can't decide, so I need an idea from the Almighty Abby... Email me!!!!!

Ducky's doorbell rang just as he was putting the turkey back in the oven with the stuffing. "Come on in, I'm a bit busy right now, but please- make yourself at home," he called in the direction of the doorway.

The door opened and shut so quietly that Ducky thought that whoever was there hadn't come in yet. He sighed heavily and turned around to go and let them in.

"Merry Christmas Ducky!" Abby wrapped her arms around the closest thing to a father that she had right now and grinned.

Ducky smiled happily as he hugged her back. "And a very merry Christmas to you too my dear."

She let him go, though her grin was still spread across her face. "The food smells really good Duck… You want some help?"

"Abby, you're a guest; I couldn't ask you to-"

"Nonsense Ducky, I practically live here." She tossed her things onto his couch, as was her habit every time she came over. Without looking back, she went into his kitchen and began making it into her own.

In less than five minutes, the two of them were happily cooking next to each other. Abby was shelling peas, and Ducky was peeling potatoes. Abby had brought over her new CD, the Dreams of Decadence Christmas CD. Her brother had sent it to her as a Christmas present; she assumed he felt guilty because he couldn't make it to see her this year. But that was okay; now she got to spend Christmas at Ducky's.

"Ducky, are we trying to feed an army here? Or are you just exceptionally skilled at eating leftovers?"

"It had better all get eaten tonight, or else we'll be eating it for breakfast, lunch and dinner until it finally goes away."

Abby pulled a face. "On second thought, maybe I ought to just go home after this…"

"Hey, if you want to spend the next week and a half alone, be my guest." Ducky was teasing her, and they both knew it. Then again, they also were both aware that Abby had no intentions of going anywhere- at least, not until someone made her.

Just then the doorbell rang… Not that either of them heard it over Abby's singing- which was actually much better than Ducky had guessed it would be. A persistent knock suddenly echoed through the house in the silence between tracks.

"Ah yes…" Ducky nodded, seeming to forget that Abby was there.

"Ducky? Hello, earth to the Duck-man! Someone's knocking on your door!" Abby gave Ducky an odd look as the music started back up.

"Ducky!" called the disembodied voice at the door. "Open the damn door!"

Abby's jaw dropped. "Ducky, why didn't you tell me that you were- Oh, please tell me you _didn't_."

"Abby, would you please go and let Jethro in?"

"What about my stuff?"

"You can take it up after he's inside… I imagine it's still snowing out there, and he's bound to be cold."

Abby sighed. She wanted to run upstairs and hide like she used to do when her mother set her up on blind dates. But there was no way that that was going to be an option. "This isn't over yet you know!" And with that she turned and walked away, hopefully to let her boss in.

"No, I can't imagine that it would be…"


	4. A Very Sleepy Boss

**A/N:** This chapter's longer, I guess to make up for the last one. Ack- I just realized something... Oh well, I guess I can- Sorry, nevermind. Anyways, I hope you like this chapter. Please REVIEW! Oh, and I still need help from you Abbs, so email me, okay? ::huggles:: I love you!

Abby went to the door, still not incredibly happy that she hadn't been told that her boss was eating dinner with her and Ducky. _Oh, stop it Abby! He doesn't deserve a lonely Christmas anymore than you do! Stop being so incredibly selfish and open the damn door._

She opened the door and grinned at the look on Gibbs' face. Well, at least she wasn't the only one who was in the dark. They stood in the doorway for a moment, secretly planning to tell Ducky off after dinner. A sudden gust of snow blew in through the doorway and brought Abby to her senses.

"Well, are you just going to stand there gaping at the flour all over my hands or are you actually going to come in?"

Gibbs gave himself a mental shake. "It's damn freezing, so if you'd move, I'd gladly come in." In spite of his own statement, he brushed past her. He could feel the warmth of her body, which had clearly been in the kitchen with Ducky and wished he was as warm as she was.

She shut the door behind him and grabbed her bag off of the couch, intent upon taking it upstairs before Gibbs noticed it. Needless to say, she wasn't exactly skilled in the art of subtlety- at least not with an Agent in the room.

"Moving in with Ducky Abbs?" he asked curiously.

She shrugged. "Only until I have to go back to work with the slave driver…"

"Funny, I seem to remember that the 'slave driver' gave you a week and a half off for Christmas." Gibbs didn't let her fool him for an instant- he knew that she was teasing him.

"Well, yeah- because he felt guilty for making us work on Christmas Eve!" It came out sounding so much harsher than she had intended for it to. "Look, I didn't mean it like that, I just- I'm going to go and put this stuff away."

Abby ran up the stairs and to the comfort of the guest room in Ducky's house. _What in the hell were you thinking? Abby, why did you say that, you idiot? You **chose** to work on Christmas Eve… Go and apologize to him right now!_ She tossed her bag onto the bed without even bothering to unpack it. There would be plenty of time to do that later.

She ran down the stairs, afraid that she had either scared Gibbs away or that he had only been there to give Ducky a Christmas present. At the bottom of the stairs, she ran into something and fell over.

Gibbs looked up at her. "Abby- what are you doing?"

"I'm finding you… But apparently I've already done that. I'm sorry that I said that, it was mean, and it wasn't like you made any of us work, especially not me. I would've been in there either way; it was my own choice."

"Abby-"

"Yeah…"

"Are you finished yet?"

She thought for a moment. "Um, yeah, I think so- why?"

"Can I say something?"

"Well, duh! Uh- I mean, yes."

He chuckled. "Are you aware that you can be incredibly forceful?"

"I can wh-?" She suddenly realized that she had knocked over a fully grown Marine. "Oh, right…" She stood up and offered him a hand. "Sorry about that…"

He stood up and grinned. "It's okay. I was actually coming to find you and tell you that you could have two weeks for Christmas, if you want… And I was going to ask if you'd come over to my New Year's Eve party, but -as you're staying with Ducky- you'll be coming anyways."

She sighed. "Why do I always miss these things? I'm going to have to make my brother come up here from now on, instead of going down to Georgia to stay with him."

"Good idea…" agreed Gibbs. "Shall we go and see if Ducky wants some help finishing up with dinner?" He saw her pull a face. "Or we _could_ just be lazy and sit on the couch?"

Abby grinned. "As tempting as that sounds, we can't leave Ducky in the kitchen on his own… That would be rude!"

"What would be rude my dear?" asked Ducky, coming into the living room from the kitchen.

"Us leaving you in the kitchen alone," Abby replied, not thinking about how odd that would sound.

"Well, I don't think that that's going to be a problem, as I'm done for awhile. All we have to do is wait… So what shall we put on the T.V. until then?"

"I think I've got a better idea than watching mindless T.V." She grinned maniacally. "Is anyone up for building a snowman with me?"

"Oh, no Abby, please- We're not in elementary school anymore." Gibbs hadn't even helped build a snowman since he was about eleven years old.

"I think it sounds like a wonderful idea… Jethro, no you may not stay in here."

"But someone should really stay in here and listen for-"

"No!" cried Abby and Ducky simultaneously.

He stood stubbornly in the living room. "Fine then- but you'll have to make me."

Abby looked at him thoughtfully. "Fine, stay here… And don't go anywhere!"

Ducky and Gibbs exchanged puzzled looks as Abby threw on her coat, hat, scarf and gloves. She walked outside and Ducky looked at Gibbs. "It's your loss you know. She won't wait forever; she's too impatient."

Gibbs knew it- all too well- but he still couldn't do anything about it. He watched Ducky leave after bundling up as well as Abby had. He shrugged, vowing not to let this get to him. He was a Marine, he could deal with it.

Ten minutes later, Gibbs was getting pretty bored, though he could never admit it. He could feel himself getting drowsy, and decided to give into his drooping eyelids.

Just as he was almost asleep, something cold and wet slid down his sweater and he jerked up. He was instantly met with muffled laughter.

"Abby!" he protested. "What the hell do you think that you're doing?"

She smiled innocently. "Well, you wouldn't come outside to the snow, and you can't just ignore it, so I got Ducky's permission to bring our snowball fight inside to you!"

He stood up and proceeded to chase her. But she had known that that was exactly what he would do, and lead him outside.

Of course, _he_ knew that she had planned to get him out there in one way or another. He scooped up a ball of snow and threw it right as she turned to see if he was still following her. Abby ducked just in time.

Unfortunately, her turning around and ducking had slowed her down, which had been Gibbs' intention the entire time. He tackled her to the ground.

"No, Gibbs, please don't!" she squealed as he held her down and reached to one side to slowly scoop up some snow. "Gibbs, please don't! I'm begging you, please!"

"Why not?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. "You put snow down my sweater."

"I'm sorry!" she squealed.

Suddenly Gibbs had a face full of snow.

"Or, well, I'm sorry that I didn't think to do that sooner!" As Gibbs was distracted and trying to get over the shock of his cold and wet face, she slid out from under him and ran off.

He shook his head and tried to find out where Abby had gone. But by now it was snowing so hard that her tracks had already been covered again by the snow. "Abby!"

Gloved hands appeared over his eyes. "Guess who?"

He spun around and grabbed Abby by the waist. He grinned proudly. "Gotcha!"


	5. Unidentifiede Flying Snowballs

**A/N:** Okay, I know it took me awhile to get this up. Our computer's been having issues. And I'm really sorry, but this is also a pretty crappy chapter. I fine tuned it, but it still sucks. I'm not sire why, but I really just don't like it. Still, I've had people say it was good, so I decided "Ah, what they hell, I'll post it." So you guys have my permission to tell me that it sucks because- hey- I think it does. And if you have any ideas as to how I could make it un-suck, PLEASE tell me! Oh- in case you care- my first original Tate fic should be up soon(ish)... I'm hoping that I'll get more reviews, as there seems to be more Tate fans than there are GAbby... ::sighs::

Gloved hands appeared over his eyes. "Guess who?"  
He spun around and grabbed Abby by the waist. He grinned proudly. "Gotcha!"

"Okay, okay, you win…" She grinned, hoping that he was now ready to release her. She sighed. "You do realize that you can let me go now, right?"

"Well, normally I would, but- as I ended up out here without a jacket or anything (not to mention a wet sweater) - I'm just a bit colder that usual."

Abby blushed guiltily. "Sorry…" She squirmed. "Can you let me go _now_?"

He grinned and let her go. "Come on then- we'd better get back inside. Ducky's probably looking for us, and besides- this snow storm is definitely getting worse by the minute."

And indeed it was. What had been lightly falling snow when Abby hopped out of her car was now almost a fully grown blizzard. Still, that was typical in Washington, D.C. and the surrounding areas. The weather was incredibly unpredictable and seemed to have a mind of its own.

The two of them hurried inside of Ducky's house and Gibbs shut the door behind them by leaning heavily against it.

Abby hung her wet coat, hat, gloves and scarf up on Ducky's coat stand and shivered. God, it was even cold in here. She was tempted to put all of her layers back on, but she couldn't… Not too many people found wearing outerwear inside very normal. She probably wouldn't have cared- except that Gibbs was there. And she cared- very much. More so than usual, as it was Christmas.

"Hey Gibbs, where's the Duck-man?" She could smell all of their wonderful food and decided that Ducky must have gone somewhere. She ran into the kitchen and started turning off the burners and the oven.

Gibbs followed her. "Abbs, are you okay?"

"No, we're going to burn down Ducky's house, and he's not even here!" She turned around and brushed her hair impatiently out of her face. "Where do you think he is Gibbs? He would never leave his house unattended! What if he's-" She was becoming frantic.

Gibbs gently wrapped his hands around Abby's wrists. "Shh, Abbs, chill… Everything's fine, okay? Ducky probably just went out for Eggnog or something; we're here, remember?" He rubbed his thumb against the inside of her wrist. "You're the logical one…"

"But Gibbs, he'd tell us first, wouldn't he? I don't know, I just I can't-" Abby let out a frustrated growl.

"Hey, it's okay… You're worried, and that's good. Now, we're going to go into the living room and calm down, all right?" Gibbs had to admit that he was slightly worried too. No one should be driving in a storm like this… And Ducky ought to know it. But Gibbs wasn't about to tell Abby that. She was panicking, and the last thing he wanted was for her to be upset on Christmas day. He pulled her gently away from the stove and into the living room. "Sit down, okay, and I'll be right back…"

Abby sat numbly on the couch. Where was Ducky? Why had he left them? Had he felt like she abandoned him? _No, Abby, no- think positive… Gibbs was right! He's probably out getting something…_ Gibbs came back a moment later with a puzzled expression on his face. "Abbs, how many cars does Ducky have?"

Abby looked at him. "One, as far as I'm aware… Why?"

"Because there's a car in the driveway." Gibbs shrugged.

Abby stood up suddenly, a look of pure horror on her face. "Oh my God, he's lost in the snow and he's going to get hypothermia and he's going to have to go to the hospital and he's going to die and-" She ran for the door without thinking to even get her coat.

"Abby! Abby, wait- you forgot your-" Gibbs sighed as she ran out the door. He went to the coat rack and threw on his coat, then grabbed Abby's.

It was snowing hard, but he could make out her black clad figure wandering around to the back of Ducky's house. He caught up to her quickly enough and wrapped her coat around her shoulders. She was crying, but it was so cold that the tears were already freezing on her eyelashes.

"Gibbs, I can't find him! What are we going to do? I mean, we can't just-"

"Hey, relax. Now, think about it. First of all, Ducky's lived here for quite awhile now Abbs. I'm sure he knows his way around. And even if he is missing, I know he wouldn't want you out in the cold looking for him." He wiped the tiny droplets of ice off of her eyelashes and held her to him. "Let's give him ten more minutes to show up. Then, if he's still not here, I promise that we'll send out a search party, as well as looking for him ourselves," he murmured against the top of her head.

She sniffled. "Okay…"

Gibbs let her go and smiled. "Come on… I know I'm cold, so you're bound to be freezing."

"Yeah? Well, forgive me for not being taught to ignore the cold… Mr. Macho-Ex-Marine Man."

Gibbs chuckled as they walked back to Ducky's house. "There is no such thing as an Ex-Marine Abbs; once a Marine, always a Marine."

At the bottom of the porch steps, Gibbs was suddenly hit by another snowball.


	6. Praying for Abbs

**A/N:** Well,I wanted this to be done by today, but it's not... ::sigh:: Oh well... It could very well continue for awhile. It all depends on how inspired I am. And guess what? Reviews inspire me. So, if you ever want to see Kate and Tony, you're going to have to convince me to write Gibbs' New Year's Eve Party. And after that, there's still plenty of time (almost a whole week) to follow either couple home... Provided that I get enough reviews to continue, of course... I love you guys...

**_Happy Christmas_**  
Jenni

Gibbs couldn't believe the moods that Abby had been in today. First she had been shocked when he arrived on Ducky's doorstep; then she had been sassy when he just stood there; then she had been sarcastic and called him a slave driver; then she had been guilty and had apologized; then she had been cheeky and tried to make him build a snowman; then she had been crafty and gone outside with just Ducky- only to come inside with a snowball just for him; then she had been cunning and gotten herself away from him- several times; then she had been panicked because she couldn't find Ducky; then she had cried because she was worried. And now she was apparently throwing snowballs at him. He turned around, a puzzled expression on his face.

Abby grinned at him. "Fooled you, didn't I?"

"Uh-oh… Abbs, what on earth did you do?"

"Ducky's fine… We were just trying to send you on a guilt trip for not coming outside to play with us."

Gibbs raised an eyebrow. "Where is the Duck-man?"

Abby shrugged. "Hiding… Actually, he's in the kitchen, getting dinner ready." Abby hurried up the stairs and opened the door. "Oh, and by the way, you're not allowed to come in unless you agree to build a snowman with me…" she called, almost as an after thought.

Gibbs stared after her in disbelief. What exactly had just happened? He sighed and walked up the steps. He tried the door, only to discover that, indeed, it was locked. Abby face peered out at him through the window.

"If you want to come in, you're going to have to build a snowman with me, okay?"

"Abby, did I ever put snow down your shirt?"

"No, but what does that have to do with the price of bread?"

"Well, what does the price of bread have to do with our conversation about snow?"

"Gibbs, that's the whole point… Okay, honestly? I don't know, my mother used to always say that when I said something completely random."

"It wasn't random- why should I build a snowman with you when you put snow in my shirt and I never did it back to you?"

"Because you love me?" she tried hopefully.

He sighed. "Abigail, I swear, if word gets out that I was building snowmen, I'm going to fire your ass, got it?"

She shrugged and opened the door for him. "Who would I tell?"

"I haven't got a clue, other than Kate and Tony…" He stepped inside and shut the door behind them, then followed Abby to the dining room.

"Like I said- who would I tell? You can't really think that I'm mean enough to ruin your reputation with your employees, can you?"

"You're right, as usual…"

Spread across the table was the customary turkey, as well as ham, mashed potatoes, carrots, peas, Brussel sprouts, corn, roasted potatoes, deformed looking bread roll things, dark brown gravy, odd looking stuffing, and many other things he either couldn't pronounce or didn't know what they were. Plates were stacked at one end and Ducky was waiting for the two of them.

"Roasted potatoes, Ducky? Is that some sort of English thing?"

"Yes, actually. It dates back to the-" He stopped and studied Gibbs carefully. "For that Jethro, you can say the blessing."

Abby bit back a grin. This would be good…

Ducky held out both hands, waiting for the other two to participate. He sighed. "In England, we also hold hands while saying the blessing…" He looked at them pointedly.

"Ducky, I know this may come as a shock to you, but we're not in England…"

He smiled. "True, but as I am English, and Jethro and I usually have a traditional American dinner, I decided that this year, as there's one more joining us, we'd do things differently- properly."

Abby shrugged and grabbed Ducky's proffered hand and then grabbed Gibbs' before he could object. "You're the boss Duck-man…"

Ducky smiled at her. "Jethro…" he warned. Gibbs sighed and took Ducky's hand in his own. "There, was that really so difficult? Now, before you say the blessing, I would like for us all to go around and say what we're most grateful for."

"Ducky, you're mixing up your holidays. That's what we do at Thanksgiving…"

"In England, we do it at Christmas… I'll start." He smiled. "I'm grateful for all of us being here, for another year together and for the wonders of friendship. Okay Jethro- your turn."

He looked around helplessly. "I'm grateful that I don't live in England where they have all kinds of weird holiday traditions…" he muttered.

"Gibbs, do something proper!" objected Abby.

"Okay, okay… I'm grateful that our little holiday group is finally growing…" He looked at Abby and grinned. "Better?"

She nodded. "Much better, thank you." She squeezed his hand. "I'm grateful that you guys let me spend Christmas with you… Oh, and I'm also grateful for snow… It never snows for Christmas in Georgia, and it's very sad…"

Ducky and Gibbs chuckled softly. "Okay Jethro, say the blessing."

He pulled a face, but bowed his head anyways. "Lord, I thank you that we have Abby here with us. I thank you for her bright personality and her cheerful attitude. I thank you for Ducky and his English habits. I also thank you for those who are not with us- Kate and Tony. Please bless them and keep them safe for what's left of this year and so many more to come. I pray that you would bless this food we are about to eat, as well as the hands that prepared it. And now, if you'll forgive me for being blunt, I'm starving, so let's eat…"

As they released each other's hands, Abby finally let out the giggle she had suppressed since before Ducky's 'English habits'. "Ducky, I think next year maybe you should say the blessing."

"Hey, I asked God to forgive me for being blunt!" objected Gibbs.

"Abigail, it was a very nice prayer, no matter how unorthodox… I was very impressed at his mentioning everyone by name…"

"Gibbs, I was just kidding. It was very sweet…"

"Great," he muttered as he took a plate and began piling it with food. "Just what I need everyone to know- I can pray a 'sweet' prayer…"

"Okay then, it was a crappy prayer… Better?"

But he wasn't listening anymore. Suddenly the food was the most important thing in the world. Of course, she was pretty hungry too, so she didn't even notice.

"Ducky, what the hell is this?" asked Gibbs as he picked up one of the deformed looking bread roll things.

"That, Jethro, would be a Yorkshire pudding… It's sort of like a bread roll… They're very good."

He shrugged and put two on his plate, as did Abby. Their hands brushed against each other and she smiled at him.

When their plates could hold no more, they went and sat at the table. Everyone ate to their heart's content, but there was still a mountain of food left. They all had several glasses of champagne, but Abby was probably the only one who showed it.


	7. Abby's Bubbles

**A/N:** Okay, so this is my take on Abby doing the dishes. It's kind of stupid- okay, nevermind, it's really stupid. Or I think it is anyways... Not the point. The point is that people keep telling me to post it, so i have done now. You guys didn't do incredibly well on the reviews fro the last chapter- probably because you were all apparently reviewing Playing Around! Wow, I got 11 or 12 reviews in about 48 hours. I was very impressed... Oh, and Abbs? Welcome home! I missed you! ::huggles::

"Hey Ducky? Can I do the dishes? Please?" begged Abby with a grin.

Ducky looked at her thoughtfully; what harm could she do, as long as someone else was in there? "Very well, my dear."

Abby grinned and rushed into the kitchen, leaving all the plates behind.

"I'll got with her," Gibbs decided immediately.

"No, Jethro, you won't. I'll go."

"Ducky, you made the food, the least I can do is help Abby wash the dishes." Gibbs obviously wasn't going to take no for an answer, as he was already clearing the table. "Go sit on the couch- the sooner we're done with this, the sooner we can build that snowman…"

"You're going to build a snowman with us?"

"Well, I'm inside, aren't I?" he joked.

Ducky gave him a questioning look.

"Abby..." muttered Gibbs simply. "Go figure…"

"Ah- is that why she locked you out?" Ducky chuckled. "Good for her… She's already learned how to get her own way."

"Duck, she's known how to get her way with me for years…"

"That she has…" Ducky admitted.

Gibbs was quickly growing bored with this conversation, so he turned to go and supervise Abby's dishwashing.

"Oh and Jethro? Don't blow it this time…"

Gibbs didn't answer as he went into the kitchen with the plates. Abby was standing at the sink with the water running and soap making it full of bubbles. He grabbed her hands quickly.

"Abbs, no more soap, okay?" he told her as he pulled the bottle out of her hands.

"But I like soap! Soap is fun… It makes lots and lots of bubbles, and bubbles are pretty…" she informed him seriously.

"Yes, they are, but don't you think that Ducky wants to have some bubbles left for him to play with too? You wouldn't want to leave him bubble-less, would you?" Gibbs shut the soap and put it back under the kitchen sink.

"Oh… Yeah, because that would be mean, and I'm not mean…" She turned to Gibbs worriedly. "I'm not mean, am I?"

He grinned. "No Abbs, you're not mean." He indicated the dishes in the sink. "Do you want to wash, and I'll dry?"

"'Kay…" She grinned and rolled up her sleeves.

He took that as an opportunity to fully appreciate what she was actually wearing- now that she wasn't covered in flour or wearing a heavy coat. She wore a three-quarter length black shirt with a V-neck and black dress pants. Her hair hung loosely around her face and reached to just below her shoulders. It was a nice change from her pigtails and casual dress that was her customary working attire.

"Hey, boss-man, aren't you supposed t be drying the stuff?"

_Ouch- busted_… "Yeah… Sorry." He looked at her sheepishly.

"Well, _I_ don't care, but we promised Ducky that we'd do the dishes."

"Yes, we did…" Or, well, Abby had asked if she was allowed to, but Gibbs could let that one slide.

He picked up a dish towel and began drying pots.

"Hey Gibbs?"

"Mmhm…"

"Are you really going to build a snowman with me?"

"Of course I am. I made you a promise!"

She grinned. "So what? People make and break promises every day! So either you're scared of me- which is just plain stupid- or you really want to build a snowman…"

Gibbs didn't bother to tell her that there were other reasons that he could be building a snowman with her. "Well, maybe I had every intention of building a snowman with you to begin with."

Abby gave him a puzzled look as she walked past him to go and get the dishes that still had food on them. She came back a few minutes later, carrying several plates full of food in her arms.

"Abbs, let me get some of those for you," he insisted as he took the heaviest plates out of her arms.

She smiled gratefully. "Thanks…" She started to cover them in cling film, never once complaining. Well, until it started sticking to her fingers and wouldn't come off. She turned to Gibbs. "Help…" she muttered pitifully as she held her hands out to him.

He chuckled. "See Abbs, this is why we don't play with cling film…" he told her, pulling it off.

"I wasn't playing! I was trying to cover the dishes with it…" She glared at him and went back to the frustrating task of covering the rest of the dishes.

"Here, let me help you, okay?" He stood behind her and took her hands in his. "I used to have this job when we did Christmas dinner…" he told her. "If you don't want it to stick to your hands so bad, you have to wrap one end over the edge of one of the plates before you tear it off." He demonstrated for her. "See? There's nothing to it…"

Abby looked over her shoulder at him. "You know, before now, I don't think I could've pictured you messing about with cling film…"

"I'm willing to bet that there are a lot of things that I've done that you've never pictured me doing…"

"Probably…" she admitted as she shook his hands off of her own and started putting the now covered dishes into the fridge.

Apparently they were done with the washing and drying- at least for the time being. He and Abby put the rest of the dishes in the fridge.

She grinned. "Hey look! We're almost done…" She washed the last of the plates and handed them him to dry. He made a face, but decided it was best to just go with it. Abby grinned as he finished dry the last plate. "Can I do something?" she asked.

He looked at her. "It depends what…"

She grinned and stuck her hands back in the soapy water, letting out the plug. "Are you sure?"

"Like I said, it depends-" He looked at her hands. "No, Abbs- no! Don't do it!"

But it was too late- she had already flicked her soapy fingers in his direction, covering his face with specks of bubbles. "Oh my God, I'm sorry…" she whispered, absolutely horrified.

He wiped his face off with the dish towel and grinned. "I can't believe you just did that!"

"Honestly? Neither can I!" She paused sheepishly. "But it was kind of fun…"

Gibbs chuckled and left it at that. Abby was definitely more amusing outside of work than she was in the lab…

"Let's go and find Ducky!"

"Okay Abbs, but-"

He was too late to make a comment. She was already heading to the living room. He sighed and followed her.

"So can we please Ducky? Please?" Abby was literally begging him. Ducky was sat on his couch, and she knelt at his side, on her knees.

"It's not me you need to be begging my dear- ask your boss…"

Ducky looked at Gibbs and raised his eyebrows as if to say 'What have you done to poor Abby?'

'I didn't do anything…' he mouthed.

Abby looked momentarily puzzled, until she saw her boss standing in the doorway. She grinned. "Hey Gibbs, can we go and look at Christmas lights? Pretty, pretty please?"

Gibbs shrugged. "Okay… Let's go then…"

Abby blinked at him. "Really? That's it- we're just going to go?"

"Well, unless you want to keep begging me… I won't object, either way."

"You know, for some odd reason, I really don't feel like begging unless I really have to…"

Gibbs chuckled. "I suspected as much…" He sighed. "Come on then- we can take my car…"


	8. Christmas Lights

**A/N:** This took a lot longer than it was supposed to, and I have no excuse. It was written and everything. I also have the next chapter... Which some of you should know a vague outcome of. I don't think that I told everyone what was going to happen. In any case, I'll definitely post that either tomorrow or Monday. I promise- no matter what, it will be here. And Abbs... ::grins:: See you Tuesday!

Gibbs drove slowly through the second neighborhood that they had decided to drive through. Ducky sat in the front passenger side and Abby was stretched out on his backseat. He looked in his rearview mirror and smiled. Her face was still pressed against the window of his car, her breath leaving a soft fog on the cool glass.

She pulled her face away and wiped the window with her sleeve. He bit his lip as he watched her press her face back to the glass.

"They're so… Bright and twinkly!" She sounded so happy- if a little sleepy. Gibbs was glad he had decided to take her and Ducky to look at Christmas lights. He hoped they could do this every year.

"Okay Abbs, that's the last of them… So, should we head back, or do you want me to find another place for us to look?"

Abby turned to look at him. He nearly laughed- her nose was turning pink from her pressing it against the cold window. "Can we do just one more? Please?" she begged.

He grinned as he pulled out of the neighborhood. "Sure we can Abbs- that was why I asked." He turned to Ducky. "You know of any more neighborhoods that are good about doing Christmas lights Duck?"

Ducky grinned. "I sure do… Go about a mile and a half up the road and turn left. A lot of JAGs live around there."

Abby grinned. "You mean like where Mac and Harm recently moved to?"

"You mean Commander Rabb and Colonel Mackenzie? Yes, I believe they did just but a house around here…"

"Commander Rabb? Didn't we investigate him once? I believe his brother had been sleeping with the vic and every one thought he killed her."

Abby raised her eyebrows. "Wow Gibbs- I'm impressed. That was almost three years ago…"

Gibbs gave her an insulted look. "What's your point?"

"Nothing… I just didn't expect you to remember."

"Uh-huh…"

She refused to let his sarcasm ruin her evening and looked back out the window, even though there was nothing to see.

"Well sor-ry Mr. Grumpy Gills…"

He looked at her in his mirror. "What did you just call me?"

She turned away from the window and back to him. "Mr. Grumpy Gills?"

He and Ducky exchanged looks. Yes, Abby was definitely weirder than usual when she had been drinking champagne. "Okay Abbs- I give up. Where did Mr. Grumpy Gills come from?"

Her jaw dropped. "Haven't you seen Finding Nemo?"

"No, I haven't… Why? Have you?"

"Of course I have! I can't believe you haven't seen it… well, you won't get it, but the crazy little blue fish named Dori called the funky, uptight clown fish Mr. Grumpy Gills… Which is funny, because his real name was Marlin. Of course, then she couldn't even remember who he was and-" She stopped suddenly. "You guys don't care, do you?"

"Of course we care my dear," replied Ducky.

At the same time Gibbs was saying, "Well, no, not exactly, but if you want to keep talking we don't care."

Abby giggled. "You're really weird Gibbs…"

"And that's coming from you?" he muttered, presumably so that she couldn't hear him.

"You know, if you want to say stuff about me, you're going to have to talk softer than that, because I can still hear you…"

"Sorry Abbs…"

"Well, see, I don't care, it's just that I can hear you." She shrugged. "I thought you might want your own little secret."

Gibbs wasn't quite sure how to handle this Abby. At work, he could easily take control of any situation by simply flirting with her- that tactic had yet to fail. But here- well, he didn't need any evidence, and Ducky was sitting right next to him. So Gibbs just drove along in silence.

There was silence in the backseat for quite awhile. "Abbs- you okay back there?" asked Gibbs as he pulled into the next neighborhood. There was no answer and he stopped the car. "Abbs- are you awake?"

Ducky sighed. "Jethro, she's sleeping. Let her be."

"Can we go home then?"

"No- let's just drive through this last neighborhood then we'll go back."

"Ducky, won't driving around only lull her into a deeper sleep?"

"Of course not. With any luck, she'll wake up before we get back…"

Gibbs sighed and continued to drive through the neighborhood, taking extra care not to bump the car around too much. He didn't want Abby to wake up, as he was never too thrilled when he woke up from a nap unless it was of his own accord.

But looking at Christmas lights soon got boring- it just wasn't the same without Abby's ongoing commentary.

"Okay Duck- I'm bored. Can we leave now?"

Ducky sighed. "Very well then… This is rather boring."

Gibbs drove back to Ducky's house gratefully. When the car stopped, Abby was still sleeping peacefully on the backseat. Ducky smiled at her peaceful form.

Gibbs got out and opened the door, intent on carrying her to Ducky's guest room.

"Jethro, what are you doing?" whispered Ducky as Gibbs reached in to lift her out.

"I'm taking her inside Duck."

"No, Jethro, you're not. You'll wake her up. Let her sleep."

"Well then what are we going to do?"

Ducky thought for a moment, then smiled. "Jethro, stay here and don't go anywhere."

Gibbs raised an eyebrow as Ducky went inside his house. "Where would I go anyways?"

He watched Abby through the window of his car ass she slept. She looked so peaceful, and he really didn't want to wake her up. Eventually though, she was going to have to wake up.

Ducky returned, carrying a large black duffel bag in one arm. Without an explanation, he opened the passenger door and tossed it onto the front seat. "Goodbye Jethro."

Gibbs frowned at him. "What are you doing Duck?"

"I'm sending Abby home with you. There's no point in waking her and-"

"Ducky, she was supposed to be spending her vacation with you. I can't just take her home with me; what will she think?"

"I will explain all of this to her later. I'm sure she'll understand; now go, before we wake her up."

Gibbs sighed. "I know what you're doing Ducky, and it's not going to work." He climbed into his car and drove off with Abby still in the backseat.


	9. The Moment of Truth

**A/N:** Okay people, I'm really not in the best of moods, but I've decided to post this anyways... Look, it would REALLY make me happy if you guys review. Without going into too much detail, I feel like hell and have to apologize to at least 4 different people for 4 equally different things. So yeah- please make me happy, or else I might just give up and cry...

When they arrived at Gibbs' house, Abby was still sleeping peacefully on the backseat. Gibbs sighed; if anything, she was sleeping sounder now than she had been when he left Ducky's. He really didn't want to wake her, but he had to get her inside. It was either wake her up or eave her in the car all alone. As it was incredibly cold out, he figured she would appreciate it more if he moved her than she would if he simply left her.

He opened her door and shook her shoulder gently. "Abbs? Come on sweetheart, you need to wake up now, okay? It's just a quick walk into my house, and then you can go right back to sleep. I promise." He reached out to stroke her cheek. She was still sleeping. Maybe he could just pick her up and take her inside without waking her up? He had assumed that if he did that, he would wake her up, but maybe she would stay asleep.

"Okay Abbs, I'm going to take you inside now, okay?"

He received no reply. Not that he was really expecting one anyways. He lifted her gently into his arms and kicked the door shut, thinking he would come back for her bag after putting her to bed.

She stirred slightly in his arms and moaned softly. "Gibbs, is that you?" Her eyes fluttered open.

"No Abbs, it's Tony," he replied sarcastically, though he quickly realized that, in the state she was in, she might actually believe him. "Yeah, it's me. Are you okay?"

"I think so. I'm just a little bit tired, and I'm pretty confused. Weren't we just looking at Christmas lights?"

Gibbs chuckled. "Yeah, we were; about an hour or so ago. You fell asleep."

"So are we at Ducky's then?"

"No, we're not. He sent you home with me because he didn't want you to wake up."

Abby snuggled closer into the warmth of Gibbs' arms, content for the time being. All of her questions were answered, she was warm and she felt safe…

"Abbs, I need to put you down for a minute, okay?"

She sighed. "Sure."

He set her down and pulled out his keys. Once the door was unlocked, he gently nudged her inside with his hand on the small of her back. "You can have the guest room. It's the second door on the left at the top of the stairs, okay?"

She nodded and turned to head up the stairs. Before going up, she turned back to face him. "Gibbs, do you like me?"

"Yes Abbs, I like you." He smiled, wondering why she suddenly doubted that.

She sighed. "No, I mean do you_ like_ me?"

"Yes, I do. I _like_ you."

"No, not like that. I mean, do you like me, like me?"

He wondered vaguely where his answer would lead him in the future, but decided not to worry about it. Abby wouldn't even remember this conversation in the morning, and he would be safe. "Yes, I like you, like you. I really do."

She looked into his eyes. "That's not what I mean Gibbs." She sighed and looked longingly at his lips, then decided what the hell. If she couldn't get an answer out of him due to her lack of coherent words and thoughts, she would get through to him some other way. So she touched her lips gently to his, though that wasn't enough for long. She soon had her arms wrapped around his neck and her hands in his hair.

To her utter astonishment, he quickly put his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him. She wasn't the only one who had been keeping secrets. They poured all of the years of shameless flirting into their first kiss. Gibbs knew it would also be the last one too, and was determined to make the most of it.

They broke for air and Gibbs grinned at her. "Do I really need to spell it out for you, or was that enough?"

She had a dazed expression on her face, but once his words sunk in, she grinned slyly. "I don't know. I'm still not quite sure I know what you mean."

Gibbs gave her a seductive look. As long as she wasn't going to remember, he may as well make the most of it and tell her everything. "I love you, and it's not going to get any simpler than that." He let her go as her expression changed to a confused and shocked look. "Now, you need to go and get into bed. I'll go and get your bag, okay?"

She nodded and he turned to go back into the snow. As she walked up the stairs, she put her fingers up to her lips. "Well, I don't think I was expecting _that_."

She found Gibbs' guest room easily and was suddenly tired again. She kicked off her shoes and climbed into the bed, not realizing or caring that she was still fully dressed. Within minutes, she was fast asleep.

A few minutes later, Gibbs knocked softly on the door. When he received no answer, he opened the door hesitantly. There she was, lying in his bed. He saw her shoes sitting by the door and was glad that he wouldn't have to disturb her. He set her bag on the stool and went over to her side. He brushed her hair away from her face and kissed her cheek. "Sleep tight Abbs. And please don't have too much of a hangover in the morning, okay?"

He kissed her forehead and left her alone for the night.


	10. Hangovers

**A/N:** Okay then... I hope at least some people are surprised in this chapter! LOL, I told more people than I intended. Oh well. Enjoy and review anyways, okay?

Gibbs slept until about nine o'clock the next morning. Once he remembered that Abby had been drunk the night before and would almost definitely have a hangover, he jumped out of bed and got to work. No one could ever accuse Jethro Gibbs of not being able to cure a hangover.

He went to his kitchen and got to work. First he made chamomile tea, which he never really used, but liked the smell of. Next he made dry wheat toast. He set it all on a tray, along with a large glass of water and a bottle of painkillers. The best thing for Abby was going to be waking her up, taking away the pain and then letting her sleep awhile longer. Eventually she would have to wake up and get dressed, but he wasn't going to rush her.

He carried the tray upstairs and knocked softly on the door. "Abbs, can I come in?" He received no reply and opened the door, thinking she must still be asleep.

He set the tray on the bedside table. "Abbs, come on, time to wake up, okay?"

She sighed in her sleep and rolled over to face him.

"Abbs, wake up for ten minutes and then you can go back to sleep, okay?"

She opened her eyes and stared at him. "Gibbs?"

He smiled. "Good morning."

She scrunched up her face. "Where's Ducky?"

"Ducky is at his house."

"I see…" She frowned at him. "So where am I?"

He chuckled. "At my house. How are you feeling?"

"I'm tired, but otherwise I'm good. Or, I think I am. Last night's kind of hazy."

"Well, you were drunk."

"I was not!"

"Yeah, you were."

She frowned, obviously trying to remember what had happened. "Okay, maybe I was…" She gasped and looked up him, her eyes suddenly clear. "I did something really stupid last night, didn't I?"

Uh-oh. What to tell her? On the one hand, it hadn't been her fault, and he didn't think it was stupid. But he knew that if she had been in her right mind it wouldn't have happened. "Define stupid."

"That doesn't sound promising…" She sat up and moaned softly. "What did I do?"

Gibbs couldn't help but think how cute she looked. Her hair was messy and she looked like a sleepy little girl. He wanted to tell her to forget it and go back to sleep, but now that he had woken her up, there was no chance of that happening.

"Abbs, give it a rest. You didn't do anything, okay?"

She glared at him. "Leroy Jethro Gibbs, don't you dare lie to me! I did something and I want to know what the hell it was!"

Gibbs was taken aback. "Do you know how long it's been since anyone used my full name?"

"Don't know, don't care. Tell me, damn it!"

His voice softened. "Abbs, you were drunk. What does it matter?" He indicated the tray on the nightstand and handed her the cup of tea. "Here, it'll help clear your head."

She sighed. "Gibbs, my head is fine. I wasn't drunk last night."

He gave her a worried look.

"Gibbs, I remember, okay? Or, well, I remember some stuff. Bits and pieces are still pretty fuzzy."

"What do you remember?"

She cocked her head. "I remember looking at Christmas lights and we were going to go and look in Mac and Harm's neighbourhood. But we never went…"

"Well, actually, we did Abbs. You just fell asleep before we got there."

She mulled that one over for a minute. "Okay, well, I guess that makes sense, as I had the cool- The craziest dream. See, I was dreaming that you carried me through the snow. Pointless, huh? Anyways, all I remember is that you said you loved me."

He grinned. "I never told you that I loved you."

"Yes you did, I was dreaming and you looked at me and you told me that you-" She frowned. "How do you know what I dreamt?"

He looked sheepish, or as sheepish as Gibbs could ever get.

"I wasn't dreaming was I?"

"Of course you were… Forget it okay?"

"What am I missing Gibbs?" She looked pretty scared, and he had to feel at least a little bit bad for her.

"You're not missing anything!"

"I did something stupid, didn't I?"

He looked at her. "I don't think it was stupid."

"Then why won't you tell me what I did?"

"Abbs, you did it, you tell me."

"Gibbs, I haven't got a clue! Please tell me what I did before I explode."

"You know, I can't believe you actually made me believe that you were drunk."

Abby glared at him. "Don't change the subject. Tell me what the hell I did!"

"What does it matter Abbs? It won't make a difference."

"Like hell it won't! I know I did something, because I remember thinking that I wanted to get a reaction from you. So, are you going to tell me, or should I just leave?"

He raised his eyebrows. "You wanted a reaction, huh?"

She winced; she hadn't intended to tell him that. "Okay, so what if I did?"

"I don't know, you tell me." He leaned closer to her and she could feel his breath on her neck.

She edged away slightly and gave him a look. "Oh God," she realized suddenly. "No, I- I didn't, did I?"

Gibbs grinned. "You didn't what?"

She was suddenly reminded of staring longingly at his mouth and kissing him. "Oh my God, I kissed my boss!" she muttered, utterly horrified. She glared accusingly at him. "You kissed me back, didn't you?"

He chuckled. "You know, maybe it wasn't such a bad thing that you were only pretending Abbs."

She frowned "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, I'm just glad you remember." He leaned in and looked at her. "I really do love you, you know."

"I love you too." She bit her lip and pulled his head down to hers with a grin. "Okay, so can we stop talking now?"

He grinned and kissed her.


	11. Phone Calls from Tony's House

**A/N:** Okay, so as most of you already know, I'm not having the greatest time with much of anything right now, not that I really expect you to care. Anyways, point be that I love reviews and they're the highlight of my day/week/month/whatever. So please, for the sake of my sanity (or lack thereof), review. At this point, I don't even really care if they're flames or not. So yeah... Please review?  
-Jenni

Abby was sleeping when, all of a sudden, her cell phone rang. She moaned and tried to move, only to remember that she couldn't. Gibbs had her held tightly against his chest. Of course, she wasn't going to complain. It was, after all, right where she wanted to be. He loosened his grip on her and sighed.

"Okay Abbs, that's the third time someone's tried calling you. I think you'd better pick it up now."

She made a face but sat up anyways. "Where is my cell phone anyways?"

"Check your purse," he murmured as he watched her closely. He only had one eye open, but she wasn't fooled for an instant. She knew he was watching her closely.

She made a face and climbed off the bed. "Hello?"

She came back to sit on the bed with Gibbs and he pulled her down to him. "Kate!" She grinned, though whether it was because Kate had called she would never know. "How are you?"

"_Hey Abbs, where have you been?"_

"What do you mean where have I been? I've been right here, at home." Gibbs kissed her cheek and she swatted at him playfully. He grabbed her hand and pulled her closer.

"_I've called you at home at least six times today, and I've called your cell about three times."_

Abby bit her lip. "I guess I was in the shower then…"

"_You've been in the shower for over six hours? I'm finding that one rather hard to believe Abbs…"_

"Well, no. I was probably playing with my new Christmas present."

"_Christmas present? What did you get?"_

"Good question Abbs, what did you get?" whispered Gibbs softly, his lips brushing against her ear.

She thought quickly then grinned as Gibbs kissed her cheek suggstively. "I got a puppy!"

"_Did you really? Who bought you that?"_

"I did of course…" Okay, this was going to be a hard lie to keep up with.

"_Aw, how cute! What kind is it?"_

She chewed on her lip as she thought. What kind of dog could she compare Gibbs to? "He's a chocolate Labrador."

"_I love chocolate Labs! They're adorable. What's his name?"_

Uh-oh. She could base her new 'pet' on Gibbs, but she couldn't very well have named it Leroy, Jethro, Gibbs or any combination of the above. "Um, Mr. X-Man… It's a _long_ story."

_Kate chuckled. "Yeah, I'll bet it is and I know better than to ask. Are you going to bring him with you to Gibbs' party next week? Wait- are you even coming?"_

"Of course I'm coming! But I'll probably leave the dog at home, just because I don't know that Gibbs would be too happy, you know?"

"_I don't know Abbs; you'd probably get away with it."_

"So what did you do for Christmas?" Abby grinned as she remembered the number that had flashed on her caller ID. "Did you and Tony have fun?"

"_Did Tony and I- How did you- I went to my parents' house!"_

"You're a really bad liar Kate. You're calling from Tony's home phone number. And besides, the rest of your family took a trip to Florida."

"_Okay, okay, you win. Tony and I went to his mom's house. It was fun, but God, his family is huge and-" She giggled. "Stop it! No, Tony, I said stop!"_

Abby snickered.

"Abbs, what is he doing to my agent?" murmured Gibbs as he heard Kate shrieking in the background.

She covered the phone. "I don't know," she whispered back. "Kate? Hey, Kate, what's going on?"

"_Sorry Abbs, I just- Well, Tony has a thing for tickling people."_

"I see. But he's just tickling you?" She grinned mischievously.

"_Well, for now he's just tickling me..."_

Abby grinned and raised her eyebrows. "Really?"

"_Abby!"_

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. But seriously- what did you guys do?"

"_Well, he picked me up yesterday morning and then we drove to New Jersey. His mom apparently had no idea that I was coming, so she started flipping out. Tony says that that means she likes me…And it's not like there was a food shortage or anything! So we ate the typical Christmas dinner, and then we stayed the night at their house. Something about it being too late to drive all the way back to D.C. or whatever. Anyways, his mother put us in his old bedroom and- Well, anyways, I tried to call you several times on the way back this morning, but you never answered."_

Abby grinned even wider. "You guys slept in his canopy bed?"

"_Well, yeah."_

Abby could hear the guilty smile in her voice. "Sounds like you had fun then, didn't you?"

"_Um, I guess you could say that Abbs. Anyways, I just wanted to say-"_

There was a muffled silence and all Abby could hear was Kate saying something about make up.

"_Sorry about that. Anyways, I just called to say Merry Christmas, even if it is a little bit late for that and I guess I'll see you at Gibbs' on New Year's Eve…"_

"I'm not even going to ask you what you're doing Kate. I have a feeling that I don't want to know. Anyways, I'll see you in about a week."

"_Hey, you really should call Gibbs and ask him if you can bring your new puppy, okay? He'll say yes you know."_

Abby noticed that Kate hadn't denied her implication and she smiled. Well, they deserved each other and she was happy for them. Of course, she was nowhere near as happy for them as she was for herself. But that wasn't the point. "I'll think about it, okay? Bye Kate!" Abby hung up before she started to laugh.

"A chocolate Labrador Abbs?"

She snuggled up against him. "Well, I thought you'd prefer me comparing you to a Lab as opposed to something like a poodle or a Chihuahua."

"You were comparing me to a dog? Wow, thanks Abbs… In which case, what does X-Man stand for?"

She bit her lip. Ah, the moment of truth. Should she tell him?

"Abby," he warned.

She grinned. "Mr. Macho Ex-Marine Man."


	12. Cold Showers

**A/N:** Okay, I know this took awhile. Oh, by the way, Eternal GAbby Group? This has been on the website for about a week- if not longer. ::grins:: You guys are pretty clueless, eh? Sorry, I couldn't help but tease you all on that one. This chapter is dedicated to Abby, who's having a spazzy week because there are practically no GAbby stories left for her to read. So, this is that last thing I will write/post until we get more. Oh, except that I promised Cheeze that I would post the next chapter of "Playing Around". But after that- no more stories or chapters until I get reviews and Abby gets fics. Let the games begin!

Abby was awakened by wet kisses all over her face. "Gibbs, stop it," she muttered irritably. The licking persisted. "I said stop, okay?"

"Abbs, honey, talk to your dog about that one."

She opened a bleary eye and grinned. We-ell, now that she was awake... "Okay X-Man, time for mommy and daddy to have their snuggles."

The two month old chocolate Labrador gave her a pleading look. Luckily for Gibbs, she had no worries about offending the dog as she shoved it gently off of the bed. To think that in less than a week- six days, two hours, thirteen minutes and twenty nine seconds, actually- she had kissed her boss, slept in his guest bed, received a puppy from him- just so that she hadn't been lying to Kate, or so he claimed- and had slept in his bed. She grinned… Okay maybe not just slept.

Gibbs rolled over to her side and wrapped his arms around her. "Sleepy?"

She feigned a yawn. "Oh yeah, dreadfully…" She turned to face him and smiled. "I could last for over a week without sleep and not even notice."

"Is that good?"

"Well, I guess that depends on whether or not you want to overwork me or not, doesn't it?"

"I don't think that I can get you a more normal schedule Abbs." He kissed her neck. "Though it won't be from a lack of trying."

She shivered happily as his lips played across her bare skin. "I don't want more normal hours Gibbs, I want yours."

He chuckled. "Abbs, how long have we known each other?"

It took her considerably longer than it should have to count it up. "I'm not entirely sure, but I'd guess about six years or so?"

"Mmhm, probably about that long. And how many of those years did I call you Abby?"

"All of them?" she guessed, still not thinking too coherently.

"Well, okay, I guess that's an acceptable answer. How long have I called you by your pet name of Abbs then?"

"I'd say at least four years, if not more. Why, where is this going?"

He grinned and kissed her cheek.The weremoving back up her body. "Don't you think it's about time that you at least started calling me by Jethro? Of course, if you've got a pet name, I won't say no to any of them." He paused at the mischievous glint in her eye. "Keep in mind that they have to be work appropriate-"

She pouted pitifully.

"-when we're at work, of course," he finished with a grin.

"Uh-oh. Jethro's having naughty thoughts, isn't he?"

He grinned at her. "If he is, it's because of the girl in his bed…" He kissed the hollow of her throat. "The very sexy girl in his bed, of course."

She pushed him off of her. "Flattery will get you nowhere."

He wrapped his arms around her and raised an eyebrow. "Oh it won't, will it?"

"Then again, maybe it will get you everywhere," she decided and leaned down to place a kiss on his chin.

He glared at her. "You're such a tease."

"Well, I learned from the best."

He rolled them back over, landing her underneath him again and pinning her to the bed. "So now I'm a tease, am I?" He kissed her forehead.

"Yes, in the worst way. Now either get off of me or make yourself useful."

"Useful in what way, my dear Abigail?"

She glared. "I'm going to pretend like you did _not_ just call me that. And you know very well 'in what way', _Leroy _Jethro."

He kissed her. "Sorry, but I think I'm going to go and take a shower." He paused thoughtfully. "A very cold shower," he added quietly.

"Oh really?" She grinned. "Fine, be that way."

He kissed her. "Come on, we don't have time and you know it. I think I ought to make it look like someone lives here before everyone else comes too, don't you think?" He caught her look and grinned. "We should probably also make it look like you _don't_ live here."

She sighed. "Okay, okay, you win. Go and get in the shower."

"Do you want to come with me?" He kissed her nose.

"Nope, we'll never get out if I do."

He grinned. "You have a point you know…" He rolled off of her and got out of bed. "Though right now, I'm not too sure why I care," he called over his shoulder.

She chuckled and the fact that she was becoming more like her boss amused her greatly. Still, if she had her way, he'd be more like her all too soon. "Hey, don't take all of the hot water, or I'll be forced to hurt you! And be quick or else I won't have time for a shower and that'll make me angry…"

"Okay Abbs, I promise!" His muffled voice made her smile and she rolled over in the now too big bed. Still, she wasn't too upset. After all, the bed was still warm and the scent of his shampoo mixed with sawdust lingered on his pillow. She smiled and buried her face in the pillow.

The phone rang, but Gibbs was still in the shower. _Uh-oh Abbs, what are you going to do now?_ "Gibbs, come out of the shower please!"

"Abby, I have soap in my hair, what do you need?"

"But someone's calling you!" she protested.

"Well, pick it up. If it's someone you know, make up an excuse and if it's not, then tell them that-" He paused. "Okay Abbs, just make up an excuse. You're exceptionally skilled in that department."


	13. Rule One Abby's Rule

**A/N:** Okay, I know, I know, I've been Out of Comission for awhile. Suffice it to say that I'm in a post-y mood. As soon as my friend Amanda gets me my NCIS binder back, I'll get you all as much as possible for True Colours. I know I'm _exceptionally_ behind on that one. It's on the top of my priority list, I swear. I'll get it up ASAP!

Thanks to all of my amazing reviewers- you guys rock my socks...  
Specific thanks to: Cheezmunkee, Abby, Kate, Jane, Emily, Megan, Kel, Alicia, Steph, etc. For those of you who I missed- who actually talk to me, naturally- I'm so incredibly sorry! I'll put you guys in next time, if you let me know... Sorry!

Abby bit her lip as she stared at the number on Caller ID. _Crap it_, she thought. _I know who this is!_ "Jethro, are you sure that you can't come and answer your phone?"

"Abby, I can barely hear you and I'm trying to take a shower. Whoever it is, I know you can handle them."

Abby sighed. "That's where you're wrong." She picked up the phone anyways. "Hello?" She answered with as much enthusiasm as she could muster.

"_Abby?" Kate's voice came over the phone and the surprise was evident in her voice._

Abby tried to stay perky. "Hey Kate! What's going on?"

"_I should be asking you the same question."_

Uh-oh; Kate didn't sound very pleased with her. Still, Abby feigned ignorance. "What do you mean?"

"_You know very well what I mean Abbs!"_

"No, I honestly don't. What's wrong? What did I do this time?"

"_Abby, why are you at Gibbs' house?"_

Abby chuckled. "Is that what this is all about?"

"_Well, yeah. Why didn't you tell me you were there?"_

"I literally just got here. Jethro's busy and he asked me to answer the phone for him. Did you think I was staying here or something?"

"_Well, no offense, but it would certainly explain a lot."_

"No, I'm just helping out. He said the only way that Mr. X-Man could come was if I came over early to help set up."

"_Yeah, normally I'd believe that, but it's 9:30. The party doesn't even start until 6 tonight! What are you guys going to do until then?"_

Abby grinned. "I don't know- enjoy each other's company? Talk about life? Discuss theology? Watch a movie? Does it really matter Kate?"

"_Well, yeah! Why don't you just make a move on him then? No one will be there for awhile, and you guys have plenty of time to get ready."_

"Ka-ate! You know I'd never make a move on the boss!"

Gibbs chose that moment to come into his bedroom. He grinned at Abby and raised his eyebrows. _'You wouldn't, would you?'_ he signed with a disbelieving grin.

She glared at him playfully as she signed, _'Of course I would! I already have, but Kate doesn't need to know that, does she?'_

Gibbs shrugged. "Good point Abbs," he whispered, settling behind her on the bed and pulling her into his arms.

"_-and anyways, you told me that I should make a move on Tony, so that would make you a hypocrite. Just do something! You know you love him, and I bet my life that he loves you too."_

Abby had forgotten that she was on the phone with Kate. "Okay, okay, we'll see. Anyways, why did you call? Did you just want to talk to Je- Gibbs that badly?"

"_Oh, yeah. Um, well, actually, I kind of figured that- when you didn't answer your home phone- you would be there."_

Abby winced. She was going to have to tread carefully if she wanted to keep this a secret. "Hey! It's not like I'm always over here!"

"_Abby, you have four homes, the first being your lab, the second being your actual house, the third being Ducky's house and the fourth being Gibbs' house."_

"I do not!" Abby paused and thought about that. "And even if I do, it's only because I know the two of them the best!"

_Kate chuckled. "Su-ure Abbs, if you say so…" Abby heard Tony chuckling in the background._

"I do say so Kate! I've known both of them for at least six years. No offense to you and Tony, but they're also desperately in need of someone to 'modernize' them."

_Kate laughed. "Okay, well, that I'll buy. Good luck Abbs! Who knows- maybe you'll eventually get Gibbs to switch to a CD player in a few years?"_

"Funny Kate, but I bought him one for Christmas last year. I'm working on getting him a Wireless Laptop and an MP3 Player now. Come on Kate, you underestimate the Boss-man!"

"_If you say so Abbs… Have fun then, I guess. I'll see you around six, right?"_

"You know it. Bye Kate!"

"_Bye Abbs!"_

Abby hung up the phone and tossed it onto the floor. She snuggled deeper into Gibbs' arms and sighed happily.

"So Abby…" She could hear the grin in his voice. "How long have you been in love with your boss? Because you know Internal Affairs is going to ask that as one of the first questions."

Abby grinned. "Oh, I've been in love with him for forever. Probably a good six years, though it really started from the first time we had sex…" She grinned mischievously.

"Abby! You wouldn't really say that would you?"

"I don't know. Probably not. But why can't I? It's true."

"Abby, if you tell them that then they're going to know that you were the reason my third wife left me."

Abby smiled. She shouldn't have been glad that it was her fault, but she was. Of course, she had only recently found out about that. She had thought it was just harmless sex between friends. Obviously Marissa didn't agree. Oh well- she had no idea what she had given up. "I wouldn't tell them _when _the first time was, I'd just tell them that it _was_ the first time."

"They'll ask," he argued.

She shrugged. "So what if they do? I'll lie."

Gibbs chuckled. "There's no beating you, is there?"

"Since you've admitted that you love me- and that I was the reason you left Marissa? No, you won't win. It's part of the 'Rules of Love' Gibbs." She grinned. "Speaking of rules…"

"Uh-oh," he muttered, sure he would regret where this was going.

She smiled up at him sweetly. "You know what you _really_ want to tell me?"

"I don't _really_ want to tell you anything. But I'll bet you're going to convince me that I want to anyways."

She grinned. "You really want to tell me what Rule 1 is, don't you?"

"No, not particularly," he answered with a shrug.

"Yeah, you really do."

"Mm, no I don't think so."

"Uh-huh, you have the most compelling urge to tell me."

"And just how do you know that?"

Abby grinned. "Because you made love to me and told me that you love me. Therefore, you want to tell me everything that I want to know."

"I do huh?"

She nodded happily.

"Will that work both ways?"

Abby thought about that for a moment. "Well, I guess that depends on what you want to know."

He grinned and kissed her forehead. "So many things My Love; so many things…"

She sat there for a few minutes- still only loosely draped in Gibbs' sheet- and let his lips wander over her bare skin. He sent shivers up and down her spine as he rubbed her arms gently. Finally, she looked up at him with a grin. "So please tell me Rule 1?"

He sighed. "I'll tell you if you promise me that you'll go and get dressed."

"Fine, but you have to tell me before I go."

"Will you really go?"

She held out her pinky and linked it with his. "I pinky swear."

He rolled his eyes at her.

"Hey, you'd be amazed at how well the most juvenile methods of promise keeping can work. So tell me…"

He sighed. "It's not that big of a deal really."

"I think it is."

"Well, no offense, but you're biased."

"What's your point?"

Gibbs sighed. "I don't know. Rule 1 is 'Don't be afraid to break the rules for the one you love'. Okay?"

Abby smiled. "That's cute… How many rules did you break for your ex-wives?"

"None. Actually, I had to move all of the other rules down to add that one in. It's my 'Abby rule'."

True to her word, now that she knew, Abby was already climbing off the bed. "So why did you add it in in the first place?" she called as an afterthought as she headed to his bathroom.

"Why do I do anything Abbs?"

"I don't know. I ask myself that same question all the time. Why _do_ you do anything?"

He sighed. "It's all for you Abbs; all for you."


End file.
